Goods-separating device.



P'A'I'ENTED MAR. 26, 1907.

No 848,582. A. 0. WALLACE.

GOODS SEPARATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION IiLBD DBO. 21'; 1905.

Fig.3].

W HEEE E 5 J69. J W11. mrvflg.

THE NoRRls PETERS co., WASHINGTON, D- c.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrron AUSTIN C. WALLACE, OF MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

GOODS-SEPARATING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 26, 1907.

Application filed December 21, 1905. Serial No. 292,706.

for separating .or dividing goods upon a table or counter.

It is especially, desirable that a device of this kind should be neat, light, inflexible, and self-supporting and should also be so made and adapted that it may easily be inserted between goods or when separating goods piled up on either side thereof may be withdrawn wlthout disturbing the goods.

It is accordingly the object of my invention to combine in one devce the elements of utility above pointed out, and the manner in which I accomplish my object can best be seen and understood by reference to the drawings, in which Figure 1 shows the device in perspective resting upon a table or counter, a portion of which only is shown. Fig. 2 shows an enlarged section of the device, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows in perspective a detail of the apparatus to which reference will hereinafter be made.

Referring to the drawings, the device consists, primarily, in a dividing board or, rather, plate A, for I prefer to make the same out of thin sheet metal, which takes up a very small amount of space in separating the goods. In order to give the plate arequisite inflexibility, its edges are reinforced in the following man'- ner: Each edge is turned or bent over by a flange portion a, and over this is drawn or placed a \I shaped reinforcement a, the edges of which are welded or otherwise fastened to the opposite sides of the plate A. This makes the dividing-plate very strong and rigid, and it gives it also a very neat and finished appearance.

For the purpose of supporting the dividingplate in order that it may maintain an up right position on the table or counter B, upon which it is to be used, there are provided at one end of the plate supporting braces or wings C. These braces are pivoted or hinged to the dividing-plate and combine with the same in such manner that they may maintain a, position at right angles to the plate resting upon the table or counter on either side thereof, or be swung in or alongside the plate adjacent thereto, or extend backward from the plate on lines parallel therewith.

For cheapness of construction and because they very well perform the function for which they are designed I prefer to make the braces as follows: Each brace consists of a single piece of wire angularly bent, as shown,

and hinged to the side of the dividing-plate, the wire being so bent that when the brace is turned out at right angles to the dividingplate it will bear upon the table or counter upon which the plate is resting and accordingly act to holdthe plate in a proper upright position. Each wire brace is hinged to the dividing-plate by turning inwardly the ends of the wire in opposition to one another, thus passing these ends in the manner of pintles through sockets formed in the lugs d d, which lugs are attached to or, better, formed integral with blocks or members D D, secured, respectively, to the dividing-plate in vertical alinement with one another. I have arranged for one end of the wire brace to extend through one of the socket forming and retaining lugs, and preferably through the bottom one thereof, by a portion 0, which portion is bent in such a manner and is so extended that when the brace is turned out from the divider or dividing-plate into an operative position for supporting the same said portion a of the wire will bear in part with tension against the side of the member D and be contained within a resess (1* formed therein. By this means the brace when in operative position is held positively in place. As the brace is turned or swung in alongside the dividing-plate or to extend back in an alinement parallel therewith, as before explained, then the bearing portion of the part c of the wire will run around on either one of the rounding surfaces d (1, formed on said member on either side of the recess d therein, depending as the brace is turned in one direction or the other. These rounding surfaces also will act to return or rather guide the bearing end of the wire '0 to return into itsretaining-recess (i when the brace is again turned out into operative position.

The mode of using the device is as follows: When it is desired to pile up goods on a counter on either side of said dividing-plate, the plate is placed upon the counter and its braces or wings B turned outwardly, making the plate self-supporting. In case the plate is used to mark or define the end of a line of goods, then it may be placed against the end of the goods and one brace only turned out, when the plate may be held in place. In case the goods are already piled upon the counter and it is desired to divide the same, then by reason of the thinness of the plate and the fact that it has no interfering standard of support on the bottom thereof it may simply be slipped between the goods without disturbing the same. Likewise, if it is desired to remove the plate from between the goods it may be withdrawn without disturbing the goods. In this connection attention may be called to the fact that in practice the dividing-plate is so placed upon the counter that its supporting-braces will come upon the rear side of the counter in order that the front end of the plate may present an attractive appearance. Under these circumstances if it is desired to insert the plate between the goods from the front side of the counter or to withdraw the plate from between the goods then this may readily be done by turning back the braces to extend on lines parallel with the plate, when the plate may either be inserted between or withdrawn from the goods without disturbing the same, as aforesaid. Attention is also called to the fact that the braces are so hinged that they may be swung in alongside to bear against the sides of the dividing plate. l/Vhere a great many of these dividing-plates are used in a single establishment, many of the plates may not be in use at the same time and the element of storage becomes essential. Accordingly providing the plate with braces which fold against its sides, as described, reduces the relative size of the whole device to the thickness of the dividingplate itself, with the advantage that a great number of plates may be piled or'stored in a comparatively small space. The device also has the additional advantage that it may be made at very little cost, this being an essential element in the aforedescribed mode of construction.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. A device of the character specified comprising a dividing board or plate, braces inged thereto at one end of said board or plate on opposite sides thereof, said braces being adapted to turn out to extend laterally from said board or plate or turn back to extend on lines parallel therewith, and 'means for holding said braces in position of extension.

2. A device of the character specified comprising a dividing board or plate, braces hinged thereto at one end of said board or plate on opposite sides thereof and adapted to turn out from said plate for holding the plate in an upright position and which braces also are adapted to fold either backward in extension from said plate in planes parallel therewith or forward parallelly adjacent to said plate, and means for holding said braces in either of their positions of outward or parallel extension.

3. A device of the character specified comprising a dividing board or plate, a wire brace hinged thereto, and a yielding member consisting of a free end of wire forming an integral part of said brace and adapted to bear with tension against a fixture or support for holding said brace in place.

4. A device of the character specified comprising a dividing-plate of thin, sheet metal, means for reinforcing the edges of said plate, one or more folding braces hinged to said plate for holding the same in an upright po sition, which braces, when folded, are adapted to assume a position in a plane parallel with said plate and which brace or braces also are made each of a single piece of bent wire, and socket-forming means attached to said plate for receiving the end portions of said wire brace and through one of which sockets one end of said wire brace is extended -to engage with a surface against which it brace or braces when folded are adapted to assume a position in a plane substantially parallel with said plate, and which brace or braces also are made each of a single piece of bent wire, socket-forming members attached to said plate for receiving the turned ends of said wire brace and through the socket of one of which members one end of said wire brace is adapted to extend and bear with tension against the other of said socket forming members and, when the brace is in an operative position, be contained in a recess formed therein, substantially as described.

6. A device of the character specified comprising a dividing board or plate, a brace hinged thereto having a yielding member operable by said brace and adapted to bear with tension against a fixture or support, and said fixture, the same having sockets with rounding surfaces between the same within and against which said yielding member is adapted to have its bearing as the brace is turned.

AUSTIN C. VVALLAOE. In presence of THOMAS B. FITZPATRIOK, JOHN E. R. HAYEs. 

